Month: September 2015

On Wednesday 23rd September, 13 members of the Women’s Fellowship went to The Wilmslow Garden Centre for afternoon tea (sandwiches, cream cakes and scones) to celebrate 55 years since the foundation of the organization.

I would like to thank our committee on behalf of all our members for arranging this happy occasion and also thank the members with cars who chauffeured us so expertly to and from the venue. It was such a lovely afternoon, and everyone enjoyed the fellowship.

Can I also take the opportunity to thank the committee for all of the work they have done and continue to do in arranging meetings and outings over the years. For myself, I always enjoy the meetings with many interesting speakers on a variety of subjects, and even if we have no speaker, I always go home feeling much better for the company!

The Heritage Open Weekend (12 Sep 2015 – 13 Sep 2015) was a busy time especially as the final rehearsals for the Tree of War were on at the same time! We welcomed 61 visitors who were guided around as much of the church as was accessible. Many were stunned by the colourful interior compared to the austere exterior.

We are grateful to Chorlton Art group and Irene Smith who provided works of art for an exhibition and Jason Smith who provided photographs.

Many people helped to staff the weekend but special thanks go to Mr Bevan Taylor who offered a comprehensive history of the church to visitors.

The weekend was a valuable opportunity to open the doors to so many people who have passed the church on many occasions and have wondered what it was like inside. It also demonstrated the community support St Nick’s gives to the musical, performing and visual arts. While at the same time it showed that this unique Grade 2* listed building requires ongoing maintenance. Thank you to everyone who supported this event and who helped once again to raise the profile of St Nicholas Church.

Well, it’s going to be a busy autumn. The long over-due work to make our building watertight will begin, we have a world premiere of a new musical The Tree of War, there are Heritage Open Days and – before we know it – Advent and Christmas will be upon us.

My article on the roof repair work is elsewhere in the magazine, but I want to acknowledge here that it’s been a long hard slog to get to the point where we can repair the roof. I thank everyone who’s made a contribution – in whatever way – so far. I hope there will be minimal disruption to the life of the church, but I guess we might have to get used to people in hard-hats making a lot of noise from time to time.

Speaking of people making noise, I’m not alone in being very excited about the forthcoming production of The Tree of War, between 15th and 19th September. One of the interesting developments at St Nick’s in recent years is our work with musical theatre. The Tree of War is a new version of the commemorative show we put on last autumn. It tells the story of a pair of Burnage lads who end up on the frontline in World War One and face all of the emotional and physical impact of that experience. The new version is a full two-act, two-hour show that has an extended cast of characters
and many new songs, whilst retaining the strengths of the original version.

I know it’s easy for me – as one of the co-writers, along with Oliver Mills – to be positive about this show, but it is an extraordinary venture. The cast and crew are fabulous and the level they’ve achieved is quite startling. I cannot commend the show to you enough. There will be laughter and tears, hope and sadness. The cast ranges in ages from nine to eighty and reflects how much talent there is in Manchester. Even if you saw the show last September and think, ‘Oh it’ll just be the same’ come along – the show has developed so much that you’re in for a real surprise!

In the past few years St Nick’s has become part of the Didsbury Heritage Trail over Heritage Weekend of 12th and 13th September. Once again we anticipate opening the church for visitors. It will – of course – coincide with preparations for The Tree of War, but we hope that this introduction to our grade 2* building will act as a reminder of how much St Nick’s is a living, breathing faith community and not just part of the heritage industry. During the weekend we anticipate having an art exhibition from local artists, themed around war and remembrance.

Sometimes it can feel very challenging to be part of a faith community in the 21st Century. We are all aware that these are challenging times for the Church. Yet, there is so much life and possibility here at St Nick’s. It’s going to be a tiring and exhilarating few months. I know that when St Nick’s becomes a building site it will be difficult. But it is part of ensuring that we can be a sustainable community resource and platform for our attempt to lovingly serve Burnage for many years to come.